ACW

Tuesday, 14 July 2015

Creativity lessons by Sue Irving 14th July 2015

“You have got away with it once, but if you do it
again, they will search for someone who sticks to the brief. And anyway you
don’t want to draw people’s attention to what you have produced so far.” My
inner critic is up in arms that I have decided to write about my photography project once
again.

I have got to know her a lot better since taking up
the challenge of taking a photo every day six weeks ago. My inner critic may
act like a diva, looking for constant admiration and adulation, but underneath
all her temper tantrums she is deeply insecure and afraid of taking risks. She
has been wounded by past criticism. However, trying to appease my inner critic
and playing it safe only colludes with her illusion that perfection is
desirable and achievable. If I want to grow, I need to learn to step outside my comfort zone.

There are some other lessons I have learned about
being creative:

1.Many so called mistakes can be
redeemed. Maybe a piece of work does not work as a whole, but there may be a
detail that tells an exciting story. I am now reminding myself to look more
closely before discarding anything.

2.If I am waiting for inspiration
to get any creative work done, I may have to wait a very long time. The
inspiration often comes in the doing. Some of my best work has been created on
the days when I was unmotivated, but accepted the daily challenge anyway.

3.If I think I already know a
subject inside out, I may miss what is really going on. It is amazing how often
my perspective has changed when I have stopped and asked myself: “What am I not
noticing?” or “Is there another way of looking at this?”

4.There is never “nothing” to write
about or photograph. While I may not be able to produce “high art” every day, the
daily honing of my skills makes it more likely that a masterpiece is going to
be produced eventually.

5.Even on the really busy days,
there will be time to do something creative. I just have to be disciplined
enough to grasp the opportunity.

Sue has co-written a book with her husband John
about their experiences when climbing Kilimanjaro. How to conquer a
mountain: Kilimanjaro lessons is available as a paperback and an e-book on
Amazon, with all proceeds going to charity.